Week 80

2/8/16

I can't believe that the time has come.  The last 18 months have gone by so fast.  But I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve as a missionary.  I can't even describe the feelings in my heart.  But I am full of peace, comfort, love, and lots of happiness :)

Well, let me tell you all about the miracles that we have seen this week!  Tuesday we went to the temple with our mission leader and his mother.  It was INCREDIBLE!  It was so special to be in the Los Angles Temple one more time before returning home.  I am excited that I will be able to go more often and be able to learn more about our Heavenly Father's plan.  And....while we were in the temple, I saw a member from the Newbury park branch and it was so good to see him before I leave.  It was such a blessing :)

Then.....Maria and Salvador WERE MARRIED!!! And after....Salvador WAS BAPTIZED!!! Ah!!!  It was so amazing, and I am so thankful that I was able to be there to see Salvador make this covenant with our Heavenly Father.  Presidente Felix married them and it was so simple and intimate.  It was just us, other misisonaries, (who have taught Maria when she was baptized), Presidente and Hermana Felix, and another family from the ward.  It was so beautiful and everyone is excited for February 6, 2017 when we will all go to the temple to see them be sealed :)  Then, later the baptism was really beautiful.  There were lots of members there supporting them with this next step.  Then after the baptism, he told us that he felt something in his chest that couldn't describe.  Then yesterday after he was confirmed he looked so happy and content :)

Well, before finishing, I would like to share a few thoughts with you all :)  I have been studying a lot about the mission of Christ these last few weeks and the other day I was reading reading about the last few moments of His life when He was on the cross.  Nobody could take His life away, only He decided when His mission was finished.  I loved that He didn't finish until He had done EVERYTHING that His Father needed Him to do.  In John 6:38 it says, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."


I also know that I came down from heaven to do the will of the Him who sent me.  And these last few days I have really felt in my heart that I have finished everything that my Father in Heaven needed me to do.  I know that I still have things to do today and tomorrow.  But I feel so much peace that I have completed and served to do best of my ability.

I can say that these last 18 months have changed me.  I have been able to met my goal of inviting other to come unto Christ and increase their faith in Him.  I have taught them about repentance and I have seen many of them be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.  I have been able to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord and that has been the best.

I know that I am not perfect.  I still have many weaknesses and I make many errors, but I am better than I was before.  And I can really say that I am more converted to Christ and his Gospel.

These scritpures in D&C 100:3-4 have really helped me during times of change on my mission and they say, " 3 Behold, and lo, I have much people in this place, in the regions round about; and an effectual door shall be opened in the regions round about in this eastern land.   4 Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls."

I know that now that I am going back to Utah, it is part of the Lord's plan and I know that I have things I need to do there.

I love you all so much, thank you for all your help, support, and love during this time in my life.  Thank you for your examples.  I love you and I'm excited to see you all :)

I just want to leave you with my testimony.  I know that God is my loving Father in Heaven.  I know that He loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus Christ.  I know the Christ did everything He did because of the great love He has for us.  I know that He died, was resurrected, and lives today.  I have felt of His help and support during difficult times.  I know that when we follow Him, we are happy and the joy that we feel is a joy that comes from heaven.  I know that the Prophet Joseph Smith restored this great church and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God that He was given to help us.  I love my Savior, and I am so grateful for Him.

I invite you to share your testimony with someone this week.  I know that Lord will help you share it :)

See you soon!!

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

We went to the temple!

We had a wedding.....

......and a baptism!!

Week 79

2/1/16

Hello everyone!  Sending you a big hug :)  I hope you all have had a great week!  Everything is good here in Ventura :)  We are seeing so many miracles here in our area.

Okay, First of all, Salvador and Maria are planning to get married this Saturday and then after the wedding, Salvador is going to get baptized!!  It has been a big change that has taken a long time for them to get to this point.  It all started a long time before I got here but I am so grateful to be able to be here for these last steps :)  Salvador has really progressed these last few weeks.  Every time that we see him, he is more converted to the Savior and His gospel.  Every time that we teach time, just like a sponge, he wants to know and remember everything.  It is a really cool experience to be able to teach him.  Next week I'll tell you about how the wedding and baptism go :D

I don't know if I told you about Ana Victoria, but if not, let me tell you!  Last transfer when I was Camarillo with Hermana Brown, we went to do service at a place where they help prepare dinner for people that are living there.  We helped Ana Victoria.  She is the only one that works there in the kitchen and sometimes it has been really difficult for her to prepare so much food for so many people by herself.  We would go there once or sometimes twice a week.  One day she gave us her address and she told us that she lives in Ventura and that it was ok for us to send the missionaries to see her.  Well, that was the week that I got transferred to Ventura!   Since I have been here we have looked for her house, but the address she gave us isn't complete!  So we were not able to find her!  But after lots of prayers, and the help of the new missionaries in Camarillo, we got her address and this week we found her!  It was sometime so special!!  These last few weeks I have felt so strongly that we had to find her!  I don't know why that thought came into my mind.  When we finally found her, it was such a special moment to know that I did what our Heavenly Father needed me to do.  Yesterday we went again and we taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel, and she loved it!  The Spirit was so strong and I know that she felt it.

Joel and Karina are also doing great!!  This week we taught them about Baptism and the Holy Ghost and when we invited them to be baptized, they said yes.  Karina picked March 12th and Joel still wants to receive an answer about the Book of Mormon.  But he said that when he gets his answer, he wants to be baptized.  It was a really great discussion.  The spirit was teaching and they were glowing with the light of Christ again :)

We have seen so many miracles and I am so thankful that the Lord is blessing us so much by being part of this great work and helps His children come unto Him.

I know that with the help of our Heavenly Father we can do anything.  I know that we have to have faith in Him and in Christ.  And by having faith, that means that we are willing to act.  If we don't act, we are not exercising our faith.  It's like if we are in front of a river.  If we don't take that leap of faith to cross the river, we will never know the wonderful things that you can find on the other side of the river.  So, this week have faith, and take a leap of faith :)

Alma 7:24 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

Week 78

1/25/16

Hi!  Sending you a great big hug from here in California :)

So many good things have happened this week, I don't know where to start!

Okay, well, first, Rocio got BAPTIZED!! And I had the opportunity to go to Camarillo for her baptism :)  It was such a beautiful program.  And another little 8 year old boy that we also visited was also baptized.  Rocio was so emotional and happy because it has been such a hard road to be able to get to this point.  And the best part was that missionaries got to come that had taught her the past...like Hermana Brown and Hermana Clark!  It was so good to see them as well!

Okay, also, on Wednesday we had a training with a few of the 12 apostles and other leaders from the church.  It was something that they are doing with ALL the missionaries in the world!  It was so cool and special.  I am so grateful that I was able to listen to their words.  They talked a lot about the basics of missionary work and how we can focus on our goal, which is the declare repentance and baptize converts.  Elder Anderson talked about our goal and said something that really impacted me a lot.  He said that as missionaries we are called to be special witnesses of Jesus Christ, just like him and all the apostles.  It was something really special to hear that he put us at the same level as them.  Then we talked about the importance of testifying of Christ.  From that moment I have realized how special the power of being a missionary and to have the special calling to testify of my Savior.  I want to take every opportunity that I'm given to be able to testify of Him and tell others how much I love Him and that I know that He lives.

Yesterday we went to our investigators Joel and Karina who are progressing little by little, but the thing that is hard for them to accept is that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  We have watched the Restoration video, nothing.  But somthing that they also need to do is to read the Book of Mormon, because that is how they are going to get a testimony of him.  This week they finally read the Book of Mormon!  And they told us that they felt different after reading it.  We just wanted to say, "oh! That is the Holy Ghost!!"(because on Wednesday Elder Bednar taught us that we have to help investigators realize the Spirit for themselves).  So, yesterday we went again adn we sand "We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet" and after we sang we asked them how they felt.  And they said peace and tranquility.  Then we asked them why they think they feel that way...and after a few seconds, they both were just looking at us, and they said, "Well, we think it is the Holy Ghost."  YES!!!!  It was just a cool and special experience :)

I know that Christ lives.  I know that everything that He did for us, He did because of the love He has for us.  I know that His Atonement is here to help us be better and change us into the people that our Heavenly Father hopes that we become.  I feel like it has helped me and changed me, and I keep changing every day.

I love you all so much and I hope that you all have a great week :)

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

Week 77

1/18/16

Hello my loved ones!!

Sending you greetings from Ventura and a great big hug!

Thank you for all that you do for me and for those around you.  Every one of you have been an angel in my life and have helped me in so many ways.

Okay!!  So, the new ward is doing great :)  We are working on helping all the families make missionary plans so that they can make goals of sharing the Gospel.  Everyone is really excited and you can really feel that missionary spirit here :)

Salvador is progressing well!  He has not drank coffee!!  He says that it is really hard, but he is seeing the blessings of keeping the Word of Wisdom.  Every time that I see him, the light of Christ shines more and more strongly in his face.  He is growing so much spiritually.  And I am so thankful to be able to be here to see the Spirit change him :)

We found a new couple this week!  They are Mario and Martha :)  Hermana Griffis found them one day when we had exchanges and yesterday we went back to have the first discussion with them.  They were both so attentive to everything that we said.  They were really paying attention and they were like sponges.  You could feel the Spirit so strong when we were teaching about and testifying about the Book of Mormon.  We gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon and Martha looked at it with such intensity, like as if she knew that this book was going to change her life.  I know that the Spirit was letting them know that it is true and would change their lives.

I have been studying the life and Atonement of Jesus Christ this week.  I have seen that when my understanding and testimony of Jesus Christ and the Atonement grows, so does my desire to share the Gospel.  I know that it is hard sometimes to share our testimony or the gospel with our friends and others.  But I promise that if you study and read more about the life of Christ and what He did, our Father in Heaven will help you share your testimony more :)

I love you all so much!  I am so grateful to be a missionary in this time when the Lord is accelerating His work.

I know that this church and this Gospel is true with all that I am.

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

Week 76

1/11/16

Hi Family!!  I hope you all have been having a great week!!

Everything is great here :)  I am really enjoying my time here in Ventura.  It is a very beautiful place full of really great people who are ready to be baptized.

Well, yesterday our Spanish branch was made into a ward, the San Buenaventura ward!!  It was so cool to be there for this special moment.  They have been a branch for more than 15 years and all the members and missionaries that have worked there have worked so hard to make it to this moment.  The chapel was almost completely full of members and friends who were there to support.  When we sang the sacrament hymn I felt a really special Spirit listening to all these people signing together.  It sounded like and felt like the angels from heaven were there singing and celebrating with us there :)

Salvador came to church again and I really progressing!  He met Presidente Felix (our mission leader) and Salvador invited him to his baptism!!  It was so cool!  He hasn't had coffee for the 2 weeks that I have been here, and I can see that he has really grown spiritually.  He is letting Christ is his life and letting the Atonement of Jesus Christ change him.

We had exchanges this week and I stayed in Ventura with Hermana Peterson.  It was a great day guided by the spirit.  It was so cool!!  We were walking and I saw a door on the other side of the street and I said, "there" and we went and found a 17 year old girl, who at first said she didn't have time, but after a little bit of talking, she said that she really didn't have time right now but that we could come back next week :)  The day was full of similar experiences where we both felt guided by the spirit.

We are seeing so many miracles :)

I found a scripture yesterday while studying the Book of Mormon.  It is in Mormon 9:22

For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;

I know that it is our responsibility to preach the Gospel and it makes me so happy that I can have this time where I can dedicate all my time to do so.  I invite you this week to prayer and think of who you can share your testimony with.  I know that there are someone waiting for you.  And I know that the angles of heaven will help and guide you :)

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

Our District

I found Baby Jesus in the Rosca.....like always!

Week 75

1/4/16

Hi Family!!

Sending you a big hug for the new year!  I hope that this year will be full of blessings and that you can be surrounded by your families and loves ones.

Everything is going well here in California.  I was really sad to leave Camarillo and leave so many people that I love, but I am thankful to be here in Ventura.  I have only been here one week but I already love the members and the investigators so much!

We have an investigator named Salvador that is about to be baptized on February 6 :)  We are working to have him and his partner get married before that.  He came to church for the first time yesterday, and he stayed the 3 hours and loved it!  There was a member family that stayed with him all three hours and it was a great help and support for him :)

As a mission, we are focusing on teaching Repentance and Baptism.  In my Book of Mormon I have been marking every time Repentance is mentioned in the color red, and Baptism in the color blue.  It is incredible to see how many times they are mentioned and how many time the Lord tells us to repent and be baptized (or for those of us who are baptized, to renew our baptismal covenants and take the sacrament).  I am so grateful that I can take the sacrament every week and be clean.  Because we all make mistakes.  Big or small, but I know that every week we can be clean thanks to Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for us.

Well, I love you all!  My new companion is Hermana Griffis and she is form North Carolina!  I love her so much and I am learning so much from her, and we are both making goals so that we can be better.

Have a great week and next week enjoy taking the Sacarament :)

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

Week 74

12/28/15

Hi my loved ones!  I hope you all had a great Christmas with all the people that you love :)  Here we had a great such a great week!

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday night with the Elders and other Sisters in the branch passing our presents.  I don't know if I told you but a member bought present like toys and clothes for all the children and youth of the ward.  So the last two week we 6 missionaries have helped to wrap the presents and got to pass them out.  It was so fun and as we passed them out we sang Christmas songs.  We were able to visit almost all the members of the ward.  They were so happy and thankful for the visit, the songs, and presents.  It was a really great experience :)

On the 24th we had breakfast as a district at a member from another ward's house, it was fun.  We had an exchange and we had lots of fun.  Then we went to sing more and pass out more presents and we were able to go to Presidente Felix's house for a little bit.  Their family from Utah was visiting . Then we went to eat with the Leites family from our ward!  It was so nice.  Sister Leites read the story of the birth of Christ that is found in John and we sang songs with the family and we talked about all the things that Christ has given us and that we can give.

On the 25th we had a District meeting and it was such a great meeting!  Last Sunday during ward council, our Bishop shared that when the church was just starting, before they had manuals, they did things a little bit different.  Before each meeting, they all sat in a circle and shared, one by one, their weaknesses and asked for help from the rest of the group.  In this situation the Spirit can be there.  So he wanted to try it at the meeting.  And it was so cool!!  Everyone shared something that they should stop doing or something that they could do better at, and it was a very spiritual meeting.  So, our District Leader also did this in our meeting.  It was a really special and moment and experience.  It really helped us to feel united as a district and to help us love each other.

Then we got to call home, and it was really cool to be able to talk to my family :)  Then we got to go spend some time with some members and eat with them.  The members here love us so much and we really love them too!

Well, it is that time again for Transfers!  I was sure that I was going to stay in Camarillo for my last Transfer because Hermana Brown is going home, but no!  I will be transfering to Ventura to finish my mission there with Hermana Griffes!  I am really sad to leave Camarillo but I am also really excited for what awaits me in Ventura.  I know that it is for a reason that I need to be there and I am excited to find out why.

This is my new address:

1040 Seamist Pl. #103 Ventura, CA 93003

Well, family, I love you all so much!  Hope you had a great Christmas, remember that this is a good time to change bad habits and be better.  We don't have to wait for a new year to make new goals.

Joy is simple, Do what is right, the right way, and in the right time-Arnold Glasgow.

I love you all so much!

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

The wall in Oxnard

Christmas with our District

Christmas with the Leites Family

Week 73

12/21/15

Hi Family!

Before I forget....Merry Christams!!  I hope that this week can you take the opportunity to visit or call someone that you have been thinking about :)

Everything is great here :)  This week we sang so many Christmas songs for so many people.  We had a Christmas devotional with half of our mission and it was like a zone conference.  It was so cool and I learned so much.  They talked a lot about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how simple and important it is to have it and to apply it in our lives.  They also talked about angles and how they are all around us helping us.  President Felix and his wife invited us to pray to have these angles help us.  I have been praying for their help this week and I have felt and seen them.  I invite you all to do the same and I promise you will see a difference. :)

There is a street in Oxnard that is called "F street" and every year, and every year all the houses there put a ton of Christmas lights and lots of people walk to see the houses and the people there sell chocolates, and sweets, and everything.  So, we went this week (because there is a member that lives on that street) and we were singing Christmas songs while we passed out cards that say, "A Savior has been Born."  It was a really nice experience and we were able to talk to a lot of people about the video.  We passed out 200 cards!

Also, another cool thing that happened is that some members gave us a little Christmas tree with lights, about 4 feet tall.  We were so excited to finally have a Christmas tree in our apartment.  But after thinking about it, we decided to give it to a family that doesn't have a Christmas tree.  They don't know that it was us who left it at their doorstep, but it was so cool to leave it and then to listen and see how excited they were to have a Christmas tree.  Especially the little kids :)

Well, I have so many things to tell this week, but not enough time.  But I hope that you all have a great Christmas.  Enjoy the time with your families and your loved ones.  We are living in a marvelous time with so many blessings.  I am so grateful for each of you and for all the people in my life.

Also, this week I've been thinking about what gift I can give to Jesus Christ this year.  If it should be something that I give up, or something that I will dedicate more time to.....I already have something in mind.  I invite each of you to think of something yourselves....that you will give you Christ this year.

I love you all so much!!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."  Isaiah 9:6

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

Week 72

12/14/15

Hi Family!  Sending you a great big hug!  My friend sent me a picture of the snow in Utah....oh my gosh!  That is something that I don't miss much....only sometimes.

This week was full of lots of opportunities to serve others :)  Our Zone went to an event where they were giving presents to families who have children with disabilities.  It was a really cool experience because the families came, chose a present for their child, and then we wrapped the present so it look pretty :)  Later, one of the ladies came and said, "someone told me that you missionaries can sing beautifully, will you come sing a few songs for us and the families that come?"  So....our district sang Christmas songs for 4 hours.  But it was nice because a mom came with two daughters and the daughters were sitting there and listening to us sing and we asked them what their favorite song Christmas song is and then we told them to come sing with us.  And they ended up singing around 10 songs with us and it was so cool and her and her sister and her mom looked so happy:)

Our investigator, Rocio, accepted to be baptized on January 23!  She has not been able to come to church because she works on Sundays, but she made the decision quit work (she is pregnant).  So, now she will be able to come!  She is really excited to be able to come to church and be baptized :D

I feel the Spirit so strong this Christmas!  We have had the opportunity to help a few members decorate their homes for Christmas and we also got to help decorate the church for the Christmas party that they had.

We also had exchanges, and it got to go to Newbury Park for the day and it was so fun!  I can't drive and neither can Hermana Morales so we walked and the members gave us rides the whole day.  It was fun!  We saw lots of miracles and I was so happy to be back in Newbury Park and see how everyone has grown spiritually.  Two families that I really love are preparing to be sealed in the Temple and I am so happy for them :)

Well, I hope that this week you can help somebody in need.  I know that by doing so you will feel the spirit of Christmas and you can feel the love that Christ has for that person.

I love you all!!

- Hermana Cuevas Da Silva ♥

Playing Bubble Ball

Singing with the District

Celebrating birthdays for Hermana Frias, Hermana Kneip, and Elder Suarez